Computerized system for imparting an expressive microstructure to successive notes in a musical score

• US 4,763,257 A
• Filed: 06/01/1987
• Issued: 08/09/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clynes, Manfred
• Original Assignee: Clynes, Manfred
• Inventors: Clynes, Manfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/056,441
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 364/419, 84/1.03, 84/1.19, 84/1.24, 84/1.25, 84/1.26, 84/1.27, 84/DIG. 4, 84/DIG. 5, 84/DIG. 12
• US Class Current: 84/626
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/02 Means for controlling the tone frequencies, e.g. attack or decay; Means for producing special musical effects, e.g. vibratos or glissandos
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 5/002 Instruments using voltage controlled oscillators and amplifiers or voltage controlled oscillators and filters, e.g. Synthesisers

Abstract

A computerized system into which is fed the nominal values of a musical score, the system acting to process these values with respect to the relative loudness of different tones in a succession thereof, changes in the duration of the tones and other deviations from the nominal values which together constitute the microstructure of the music notated by the score. The system yields the specified tones of the score as modified by the microstructure, thereby imparting expressivity to the music that is lacking in the absence of the microstructure.

Claims

1. A computerized system for imparting an emotionally expressive microstructure to the respective notes in the score of a musical composition constituted by a succession of notes whose notation provides the nominal value for each note in regard to its pitch and duration, said system comprising:

A. a digital computer;

B. means to enter into said computer nominal data representing the nominal pitch and duration of each of the successive notes in the musical score to be processed;

C. a matrix having stored therein microstructure data relating to the relative loudness and duration values of a series of notes forming a group representing the inner pulse of a given musical composer;

D. means to enter into said computer said microstructure data, said computer including means to process the nominal data entered therein with reference to the microstructure data entered therein to yield in its output with respect to each note in the succession thereof a series of digital values representing loudness and duration changes in accordance with their interrelationship to said inner pulse; and

E. means responsive to said computer output to generate and audibly reproduce tones representing the notes of said score with said microstructure data impressed thereon to render the reproduced music derived from the score expressive.

2. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said microstructure data entered into said computer includes data relating to desired vibrato variations of each nominal note.

3. A system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said matrix has stored therein microstructure data pertaining to all possible rhythms used by said given composer.

4. A system as set forth in claim 3, wherein all possible rhythms are represented by a meta rhythm.

5. A computerized system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said matrix contains number pairs:

one for duration, in percent, and the other an amplitude ratio referenced to 1, said matrix containing as many said number pairs as there are metric elements in a bar or a subdivision thereof, said number pairs applying to the various notes of the music according to the number of metric elements each note has, and to its position in the bar so that the duration of a tone of the musical score is converted to the arithmetic sum of the durations of the corresponding component matrix numbers, while its amplitude is converted to the amplitude number of the first matrix component number referring to that tone.